Letter 10

From: The Austrasian Court To: [Recipient at the Austrasian Court] Date: ~545 AD Context: A diplomatic letter from the Austrasian court regarding relations with a neighboring power, conveying the king's position on a border question through an intermediary. To our trusted friend and representative, The king has reviewed the reports from your most recent meetings with the representatives of the neighboring court and has authorized us to convey the following position. On the question of the border settlement in the disputed region: the king is willing to accept the line proposed in the last round of negotiations, with the modification that the three villages on the eastern bank of the river remain within Frankish jurisdiction. This is not a negotiating position that admits of much flexibility; the king has reasons for it that he considers decisive, and he has authorized us to explain those reasons in more detail if you believe that would help move the discussions forward. On the question of the treatment of Frankish merchants in the neighboring kingdom: the king expects full reciprocity. Whatever protections and legal guarantees Roman merchants receive in the Frankish kingdom, Frankish merchants must receive in return. This is not an unfair request; it is the basic principle of fair dealing between powers that wish to trade with each other. On the ecclesiastical question: the king defers to the bishops on matters of canon law and asks only that the resolution not create new jurisdictional problems on the Frankish side of the border. Report back to us after your next meeting with their representatives. From the royal chancery